Ensilage-packer for silos.



G. F. KBBUNGER.

NSILAGE PACKER FOR SILOS. APPLICATION FILED ocT.12. |917.

' 1,294,674. Patented 111111111919.

y0 1 7 v l I gwuenlo@ Noruega GIDEON F. KIBLINGER, OF FISHERSVILLE, VIRGINIA.

ENSILAGE-PACKER FOR SILOS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

application mea october 12, 1917. seriai No. 196,272.

"To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GnmoN F. KIBLINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fishersville, in the county of Augusta, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ensilage-Packers for Silos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements .in

` packing devices and particularly to devices for packing ensilage in a silo, asvthe ensilage is delivered thereinto. y

' One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and efficient device of this character by means of which the center and edges of the ensilage will be packed with equal firmness and solidity.

Another object is to provide a novel device of this character which will automatilso Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview through a silo, showing my im proved packing device in elevation therein.

Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 4

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one of the tension arms30. v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-y-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. Gis a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showingthe packing rollers elevated with the rise of ensilage in the silo.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of a modified form of mounting for the pressureroller.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the member 47, showing the lugs 47 which are received is a shaft 11 which is angular in cross secticn, the uppermost section 1l of which is slidably disposed through and is rotated by a pinion l2. The lower end of each of the sections of the shaft 11 is formed with a socket member 10 for the reception of the upperend of the neXt lower section, a set screw 10 being carried by the socket me1n ber for securely clamping the sections together. A frame including radial arms 13 is disposed on the upper edge of the silo, and the ends of Said arms are provided with 4downwardly'turned ngers 14 for engage- Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

carried by tlie fingers. In a bracketl, carried by the said frame, there is supported a horizontal shaft 17, the inner end of which carries a pinion 17 meshing with the pinion 12, while the other end of the shaft carries a loosely mounted sprocket wheel 18. This sprocket wheel is driven by means of the chain 19, from the ensilage cutting machine 20, shown in Fig. 1.

Extending upwardly from the cutting machine is a tubular blower pipe 21 having an elbow 22 at its upper end for discharging the ensilage into the upper end of the silo.

Carried by the lowermost section 11 of the shaft l1, is a transverse shaft 23, one end of which extends t0 a point adjacent the f inner face of the silo, while the other end is disposed a short distance at the other side of the lower end of the shaft 11. On the lower portion of the shaft 23 there is mounted a roller 24, and on the shaft, between the inner end of the roller and the bearing 25, which supports the shaft 23, is a coil spring 26, which normally urges `the roller outwardly on the said shaft. This roller is arranged to pack the ensilage near the outer edge of the silo. On the other end of the shaft 23 is a roller 27, which turns in a circular path'close to the lower end of the shaft 11, so as to pack the ensilage near or at the center of the silo.

A suitable clutch 28 is carried by the horizontal shaft 17 for releasable engagement with the sprocket wheel 18 for starting or stopping the mechanism.

Carried by the section 11" at a `suitable distance above the rollers 27 is a rigidly secured collar 29, and slidably engaged on the said section, above this collar, is a transversely disposed bar 30. Disposed vertically through the end portions of this bar are the bolts 31 which are received in the longitudinal slots 32 formed in the adjustable arms 33 which arms are disposed on the said end portions. The ends of the arms are bifurcated, as at 34, and pivotally mounted in each of the said bifurcations is a friction member 35 which is adapted to bear against the inner face of the silo wall. Connected to each of the pivoted friction members lis a cord or wire 36 which extends .inwardly toward the center of the silo and downwardly through lthe central opening .in the bar 30, as shown at 30', where the depending end carries a weight A37. These weights serve to hold the friction members firmly against the silo wall so that the upward pressure of the packing silage against the rollers will be resisted to such a degree that the silage will be properly and lfirmly packed. When the pressure gets to a point beyond the yfrictional holding power of the said members the bar and arms will be automatically pushed upwardly and in this event the uppermost section which slides through the pinion 1-2, is -removed and the next lower section placed through the said pinion. This is repeated until the mounting level of the ensilage has reached a point adjacent the top of the silo.

Theclutch 28 `is automatic in its action, and is heldin engagement lwith the member 28 of the 4shaft by means of the spring 38, whereby should the driving-mechanism tend to bind the clutch will turn idly without acting on the shaft L7, thereby preventing the 'breaking of any of the parts of -the mechanism.

It will be noted that the outer end of the roller 24 isrounded, as shown at 24', where- `positions onthe shaft 39, and therebyplace 55 j iside wall of thc'silo. This is especially usethe roller '4l closer to or farther from-the ful in connection with silos of different diameters, and where the form .shown inv the other figures will not be long enough. The

youter end of thehollow .shaft is formed with a'iange 45 which prevents the removal of the roller from the shaft, while at the same time permitsthe roller ya free rotary `mov`ement on the shaft.

The outer or larger end of the roller 4l is formed with a peripheral series of sockets 46 which receive the lugs 47 carried by an end section 47 which is secured detachably to the end of the roller by means of shaft, a roller mounted on the shorter .porn ftion of the transverse shaft, and `a spring pressed roller mounted on the vlonger portion of the transverse shaft.

2. An ensilage packing device for .fa silo including ,a centrally located .vertical sectional shaft, means for rotating the shaft, the shaft being detachably connected to the rotating means, packing elements `carried by the shaft, and an automatic tension means for the packing elements and shaft.

3. An ensilage ypacking device for ,a Vsilo including a vertical rotatable shaft, packing elements carried by the lowerrend of the shaft, -a stop collar on theshafft, adjacent the -lower end `thereo'f,a transverse bar slidably disposed on the shaftabove .thecollar, and gravity actuated )gripping Vmeans on the endsofthe `bar for engagement ,with the walls of the silo .to hold the'packing elements in firm .engagement withthe ensilage.

4. An ensilage packing `device "for a silo including a vertical rotatable shaft, vpacking rollers mounted on the lower endofthe shaft and-movable with the shaft, a .stop collaron the shaft above the rollers, atransverse'bar on the shaft above and engaging with the collar, friction elements 'carriedby the. ends of the bar for engagement withjthe walls of the siloto Vexert downward pressure on thepackin elements,;the center of the bar being provided with anopeningfor the reception of the shaft, .iexible elements conneet-ed tothe friction elementsand extending f downwardly through the said opening, and weights carried by vthe depending` ends of the flexible elements.

5. 'In a 'silo packing device a vertical Y 'the wall of the silo 'andf'removably' connected to the shaft. r

"6. A silo packing'device including a vertical rotatable shaft, horizontal shafts oar- In testimony whereof I ax my signature ried bv the lower end of the vertical shaft, in the presence of two witnesses.

a roller carried by one of the said shafts a hollow shaft longitudinally adjustable bn GIDEON F' KIBLINER the other shaft, a roller rotatably mounted Witnesses: on the hollow shaft, and a detachable roller ORMAND V. CARSON, end section carried by said adjustable roller. EUGENE E. MGCUTCHAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentsx Washington, D. C. 

